1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication apparatus like a mobile phone.
2. Description of Related Art
Mobile phones with various functions have rapidly diffused recently. Among these functions are short message services or answering (voice mail) services, which record short messages or the like in a message center of a mobile phone carrier for later playback when a user calls the message center.
Another type of mobile phones appear today which can store short messages by themselves. A user can play back the short messages by manipulating a function key and then entering a particular combination of digits through a numeric keypad.
Thus, to play back the short messages or the like, the user must remember the telephone number of the message center or the combination of digits. Otherwise, the user must refer to a manual every time he or she plays back. This is very inconvenient for the user, and improvement in operability is desired.
One of the techniques to improve the operability is disclosed in Japanese patent application laid-open No. 9-284366/1997. It relates to a mobile phone with a flip, which displays on its display, in response to a user opening the flip, a message that a voice mail has arrived together with the telephone number of a message center that stores the voice mail. In this state, the user can call the displayed telephone number by manipulating a call key.
This technique, however, has rather small impact on the user because it displays the message indicative of the voice mail and the telephone number using only characters and numerals. Accordingly, the user may sometimes miss the voice mail, and hence be unable to play back the voice mail eventually.
The present invention is implemented to solve the foregoing problem. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mobile communication apparatus capable of effectively notifying a user of the presence of reproduction waiting information such as a short message that is not yet read.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication apparatus comprising a display screen that displays, in response to a starting operation of using the mobile communication apparatus, a menu image in a window, the menu image including an icon associated with reproduction waiting information containing at least an unread message.
Here, the reproduction waiting information maybe stored before the starting operation in one of memories installed in the mobile communication apparatus and in an external apparatus.
The display screen may display, when the reproduction waiting information includes a plurality of pieces of reproduction waiting information, a plurality of icons, each of which is associated with one of the plurality of pieces of reproduction waiting information.
The display screen may display in the menu image, when a user registered one or more functions from among a plurality of predetermined functions, icons associated with the one or more functions the user registered.
The display screen may display in the menu image icons associated with icon selection keys for selecting one of the icons which are displayed in the menu image.
The mobile communication apparatus may further comprise means for producing a sound at a time when the menu image is displayed.
The menu image may display only one of the icons at a time.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication apparatus comprising: an operation detector for detecting a starting operation of using the mobile communication apparatus; a storage for storing reproduction waiting information containing at least an unread message; decision means for making a decision, in response to detection of the starting operation by the operation detector, as to whether the storage stores the reproduction waiting information; and a display unit for displaying, in a window on a display screen, a menu image that includes an icon associated with the reproduction waiting information, when the decision means decides that the storage stores the reproduction waiting information.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication apparatus comprising: an operation detector for detecting a starting operation of using the mobile communication apparatus; a receiver for receiving a received message indicating that an external storage stores reproduction waiting information containing at least an unread message; decision means for making a decision, in response to detection of the starting operation by the operation detector, as to whether the receiver receives the received message; and a display unit for displaying, in a window on a display screen, a menu image that includes an icon associated with the reproduction waiting information, when the decision means decides that the received message is received.